Art of sheet-glass manufacture



Dec. 31, 1929. L. E. STEWART ART OF SHEET GLASS MANUFACTURE Filed June 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet df. o 8 rl 1,-. .-4 1|+-T.1- 1|1-1+ T.-ZH 2 3 :z 1 6 VL l l -l x- Il. ||1|. ||i. 1 l- H||. Il .mlm V-. EL !L lt IL 9 J/ 2. hw.. c l A\\\\ b wl atbonwgs Dec. 31, 1929. L, E, STEWARTl 1,741,886

ART OF SHEET GLASS MANUFACTURE Filed June 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 1M/verdon "Patented Dec. 1929l UNITEDl s' ra'rizsl vPfA1au'r OFFICE LAUBENGE a. STEWART, oF enmarcan, ramrsnvanm, AssIeNoa To Bomann l eLAss comm, or cLAaxsBUae," wEsT VIRGINIA ART F SHEET-GLASS MANUFACTURE y application med .Tune e,

My invention relates to the art ofsheetglass manufacture and its primary object is to produce a better and more uniform quality of glass than has heretofore been obtainable at the same cost. It is well-known that after glass is properly melted, the less it is disturbed, either by mechanical agitation or by rapid cooling and reheating, during transfer from the melt,` to the point of draw,v the. better andomoreuniformis the quality of 'the product. Therefore,an object of my invention is to provide a structure whereby the vglass may be withdrawn :from the main tank at a oint below the surface of theymolten glass, and another object is to provide means whereby the molten glass may flow from the melting tank to the drawing point with mini mum agitation and with temperature controlling -means. These objects are attained in such an apparatuses is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings in the manner here' inafter fully, described, and the invention resides in certain novel features particularly pointed out' in the a ended claims.

,25 In the drawings, lgure 1 is avertical sec.-

tion of a portion of amelting tank and a drawing pot cooperating therewith, the sectionl being taken in the medial longitudinal plane of the pot, a portion of a drawing and annealing machine being conventionally indicated; Figure 2 is an end elevation of the tank "with afplurality of drawingp'ots, the pots being shown in end elevation and in transverse vertical section on the lines a--a and b--b, Figure 1, respectively Y Figure 3 is a view partly 1n 'plan and partly in horizontal section, the planes of the secande-e, Figure 1, res ectively.

The melting and re ning tank l, may be of any approved construction adapted for thecontinuous production of molten glass, a plurality of drawing pots 2 bem arranged along` the end of the tank and 1n rect communication with ,the respective outlet ports 3' of the tank. The ots are supported by beams 4in such position thatthe conduit 5 in each pot is, in elect, an elongation o f .an outlet 3 of the tank and a leak-proof .Joint bricks so that by closin some openings and `metal alloys are suitable. The 'conduit 5has able vertically acrossthe inner end of the 192s. smal' No. 35,412.

between the tank and the pot is provided, it being noted at this point thatsaid conduit and port are below the normal level of the glass in the tank. Each pot includes a bottom 6 and walls 7 of brick or other refractory material so formed or arranged as to provide lues8 around the conduit and the drawing stone to which heat is supplied through an opening 9 in the bottom 6 from an convenient source, a valve-controlled gas urner 10 being illustrated. The pot-is covered bya top plate 11 having openings 12 therethrough which openings may be coveredxwith uncovering others the eat may be held at any point or permittedto escape-as may be desired, the temperature Within-the pot bey ing thus easily controlled. A cove'rmg, 413 of heat-insulating material is placed/ aroun the-,walls 7, and a casing 14 of metal plates is bolted or otherwise secured around the en-` tire potso that it willbe a unitary structure.. y The conduit' of the pot is defined by a hollow or tubular body restinlr on the `bottom 6 of the outer structure and extending over the heat ues or channels therein. .This body may be of any approved material, clay or porcelain being preferred, although some an opening 1,5 in .its top walladjacent its outer end through 'which the glass may pass ,o to thedrawing` stone 16, and in the iront end ofthe conduitfis "a Iiig 17. wherebythe conduit may be tappe when necessary, it being noted here that the per portion of the ot overhangs the outer ont end ofthe con uit so that the passage 15'is disposed centrally tions being indicated by the lines o o, d-Z,"

'of the chamber into, whichvit opens. -Mov` conduit is a gate or stopper 18 by-which the flow ofvglassv may belcut oif or regulated as desired, the stop erbeing raised and lowered by an vform o lifting mechanism now in use. einner body or wall of the ot def fines a vertical extension 19 above t e conduit in the upper end of which the draw stone 16 is mounted, the drawing and annealing machine, indicated conventionally at 20, being e arranged to receive the glass directly 'from 100 vheld together as, u

the drawstone. It willV be noted that .the drawstone iioats on the body of glass within the extension 19 which deiines a relatively narrow shallow elongated chamber 21 receiving the glass directly from the passage 15, and it will also be noted that the draw- `stone has a Very restricted longitudinal slot 22 extending vertically therethrough, a channel 23 being formed in the top of the draw.

stone around the u per end of the slot so that the thin sheet of g ass rising through the slot may expand suicientl to form a body which will be efectually ta en up by the bait or other engaging element of the drawing and annealing machine.

From the foregoing description, taken in @Maese passage and up the sides thereof, and means for supplying heat to the ues.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

LAURENCE E. STEWART.

connection with the accompanying drawings,

annealing mac ine. `The top'of the drawstone is'approximately in the lane ofthe level of the glass in the tank so t at the glass will flow in a natural even manner to the point of draw. Moreover, as the glass leaves the tank at a oint below the surface of the molten glass 1n the main tank, the finished article will be of a high uniform quality, vas dirt and foreign matter are apt to accumulate on the surface, rather than below it, and iuctuations of temperature, due to weather conditions or shifting winds, will affect the surface more surface.v

Changes may be made in the minor details of construction without departing from the scope of the invention as the same is defined in the following claims, and I, therefore, do not confine myself to the precise forms shown in the accompanying drawings which are illustrative only.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a glass-melting tank, of a drawing pot in juxtaposition to the 'tank and havingan inner wall defining a passage leading from the tank to a point of quickly'than thebody below the draw, an outer wall housing the inner wall and having fines therein, means for supplying heat to the tlues, a heat-insulating cover upon the exterior of the outer wall, and a casing binding the parts together.

2. The combination with a glass-melting tank, of a drawing pot external thereto and having an innerwall defining a passage leading from the tank t6 a point of draw, an outer wall housing the inner wall and having fiues extending under and across the bottom of said 

